thoughts on man-第44章

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on；　or　throwing　into　shade　the　thing　that　is；　but　never　of　simulation；　or　the　pretending　the　thing　to　be　that　is　not。　　He　is　plain　and　uniform　in　every　thing　that　he　professes；　or　to　which　he　gives　utterance；　but；　from　timidity　or　irresolution；　he　keeps　back　in　part　the　offering　which　he　owes　at　the　shrine　where　it　is　most　honourable　and　glorious　for　man　to　worship。

And　this　brings　me　back　again　to　the　subject　of　the　immediately　preceding　Essay；　the　propriety　of　voting　by　ballot。

The　very　essence　of　this　scheme　is　silence。　　And　this　silence　is　not　merely　like　that　which　is　prompted　by　a　diffident　temper；　which　by　fits　is　practiced　by　the　modest　and　irresolute　man；　and　by　fits　disappears　before　the　sun　of　truth　and　through　the　energies　of　a　temporary　fortitude。　　It　is　uniform。　　It　is　not　brought　into　act　only；　when　the　individual　unhappily　does　not　find　in　himself　the　firmness　to　play　the　adventurer。　　It　becomes　matter　of　system；　and　is　felt　as　being　recommended　to　us　for　a　duty

Nor　does　the　evil　stop　there。　　In　the　course　of　my　ordinary　communications　with　my　fellow…men；　I　speak　when　I　please；　and　I　am　silent　when　I　please；　and　there　is　nothing　specially　to　be　remarked　either　way。　　If　I　speak；　I　am　perhaps　listened　to；　and；　if　I　am　silent；　it　is　likely　enough　concluded　that　it　is　because　I　have　nothing　of　importance　to　say。　　But　in　the　question　of　ballot　the　case　is　far　otherwise。　　There　it　is　known　that　the　voter　has　his　secret。　　When　I　am　silent　upon　a　matter　occurring　in　the　usual　intercourses　of　life　where　I　might　speak；　nay；　where　we　will　suppose　I　ought　to　speak；　I　am　at　least　guilty　of　dissimulation　only。　　But　the　voter　by　ballot　is　strongly　impelled　to　the　practice　of　the　more　enormous　sin　of　simulation。　　It　is　known；　as　I　have　said；　that　he　has　his　secret。　　And　he　will　often　be　driven　to　have　recourse　to　various　stratagems；　that　he　may　elude　the　enquirer；　or　that　he　may　set　at　fault　the　sagacity　of　the　silent　observer。　　He　has　something　that　he　might　tell　if　he　would；　and　he　distorts　himself　in　a　thousand　ways；　that　he　may　not　betray　the　hoard　which　he　is　known　to　have　in　his　custody。　　The　institution　of　ballot　is　the　fruitful　parent　of　ambiguities；　equivocations　and　lies　without　number。



ESSAY　XIX。　OF　SELF…COMPLACENCY。

The　subject　of　this　Essay　is　intimately　connected　with　those　of　Essays　XI　and　XII；　perhaps　the　most　important　of　the　series。

It　has　been　established　in　the　latter；　that　human　creatures　are　constantly　accompanied　in　their　voluntary　actions　with　the　delusive　sense　of　liberty；　and　that　our　character；　our　energies；　and　our　conscience　of　moral　right　and　wrong；　are　mainly　dependent　upon　this　feature　in　our　constitution。

The　subject　of　my　present　disquisition　relates　to　the　feeling　of　self…approbation　or　self…complacency；　which　will　be　found　inseparable　from　the　most　honourable　efforts　and　exertions　in　which　mortal　men　can　be　engaged。

One　of　the　most　striking　of　the　precepts　contained　in　what　are　called　the　Golden　Verses　of　Pythagoras；　is　couched　in　the　words；　〃Reverence　thyself。〃

The　duties　which　are　incumbent　on　man　are　of　two　sorts；　negative　and　positive。　　We　are　bound　to　set　right　our　mistakes；　and　to　correct　the　evil　habits　to　which　we　are　prone；　and　we　are　bound　also　to　be　generously　ambitious；　to　aspire　after　excellence；　and　to　undertake　such　things　as　may　reflect　honour　on　ourselves；　and　be　useful　to　others。

To　the　practice　of　the　former　of　these　classes　of　duties　we　may　be　instigated　by　prohibitions；　menaces　and　fear；　the　fear　of　mischiefs　that　may　fall　upon　us　conformably　to　the　known　series　of　antecedents　and　consequents　in　the　course　of　nature；　or　of　mischiefs　that　may　be　inflicted　on　us　by　the　laws　of　the　country　in　which　we　live；　or　as　results　of　the　ill　will　and　disapprobation　felt　towards　us　by　individuals。　　There　is　nothing　that　is　necessarily　generous　or　invigorating　in　the　practice　of　our　negative　duties。　　They　amount　merely　to　a　scheme　for　keeping　us　within　bounds；　and　restraining　us　from　those　sallies　and　escapes；　which　human　nature；　undisciplined　and　left　to　itself；　might　betray　us　into。　　But　positive　enterprise；　and　great　actual　improvement　cannot　be　expected　by　us　in　this　way。　　All　this　is　what　the　apostle　refers　to；　when　he　speaks　of　〃the　law　as　a　schoolmaster　to　bring　us　to　liberty；〃　after　which　he　advises　us　〃not　to　be　again　entangled　with　the　yoke　of　bondage。〃

On　the　other　hand；　if　we　would　enter　ourselves　in　the　race　of　positive　improvement；　if　we　would　become　familiar　with　generous　sentiments；　and　the　train　of　conduct　which　such　sentiments　inspire；　we　must　provide　ourselves　with　the　soil　in　which　such　things　grow；　and　engage　in　the　species　of　husbandry　by　which　they　are　matured；　in　other　words；　we　must　be　no　strangers　to　self…esteem　and　self…complacency。

The　truth　of　this　statement　may　perhaps　be　most　strikingly　illustrated；　if　we　take　for　our　example　the　progress　of　schoolboys　under　a　preceptor。　　A　considerable　proportion　of　these　are　apt；　diligent；　and　desirous　to　perform　the　tasks　in　which　they　are　engaged；　so　as　to　satisfy　the　demands　of　their　masters　and　parents；　and　to　advance　honourably　in　the　path　that　is　recommended　to　them。　　And　a　considerable　proportion　put　themselves　on　the　defensive；　and　propose　to　their　own　minds　to　perform　exactly　as　much　as　shall　exempt　them　from　censure　and　punishment；　and　no　more。

Now　I　say　of　the　former；　that　they　cannot　accomplish　the　purpose　they　have　conceived；　unless　so　far　as　they　are　aided　by　a　sentiment　of　self…reverence。

The　difference　of　the　two　parties　is；　that　the　latter　proceed；　so　far　as　their　studies　are　concerned；　as　feeling　themselves　under　the　law　of　necessity；　and　as　if　they　were　machines　merely；　and　the　former　as　if　they　were　under　what　the　apostle　calls　〃the　law　of　liberty。〃

We　cannot　perform　our　tasks　to　the　best　of　our　power；　unless　we　think　well　of　our　own　capacity。

But　this　is　the　smallest　part　of　what　is　necessary。　　We　must　also　be　in　good　humour　with　ourselves。　　We　must　say；　I　can　do　that　which　I　shall　have　just　occasion　to　look　back　upon　with　satisfaction。　　It　is　the　anticipation　of　this　result；　that　stimulates　our　efforts；　and　carries　us　forward。　　Perseverance　is　an　active　principle；　and　cannot　continue　to　operate　but　under　the　influence　of　desire。　　It　is　incompatible　with　languor　and　neutrality。　　It　implies　the　love　of　glory；　perhaps　of　that　glory　which　shall　be　attributed　to　us　by　others；　or　perhaps　only　of　that　glory　which　shall　be　reaped　by　us　in　the　silent　chambers　of　the　mind。　　The　diligent　scholar　is　he　that　loves　himself；　and　desires　to　have　reason　to　applaud　and　love　himself。　　He　sits　down　to　his　task　with　resolution；　he　approves　of　what　he　does　in　each　step　of　the　process；　and　in　each　enquires；　Is　this　the　thing　I　purposed　to　effect？

And；　as　it　is　with　the　unfledged　schoolboy；　after　the　same　manner　it　is　with　the　man　mature。　　He　must　have　to　a　certain　extent　a　good　opinion　of　himself；　he　must　feel　a　kind　of　internal　harmony；　giving　to　the　circulations　of　his　frame　animation　and　cheerfulness；　or　he　can　never　undertake　and　execute　considerable　things。

The　execution　of　any　thing　considerable　implies　in　the　first　place　previous　persevering　meditation。　　He　that　undertakes　any　great　achievement　will；　according　to　the　vulgar　phrase；　〃think　twice；〃　before　he　buckles　up　his　resolution；　and　plunges　into　the　ocean；　which　he　has　already　surveyed　with　anxious　glance　while　he　remained　on　shore。　　Let　our　illustration　be　the　case　of　Columbus；　who；　from　the　figure　of　the　earth；　inferred　that　there　must　be　a　way　of　arriving　at　the　Indies　by　a　voyage　directly　west；　in　distinction　from　the　very　complicated　way　hitherto　practiced；　by　sailing　up　the　Mediterranean；　crossing　the　isthmus　of　Suez；　and　so　falling　down　the　Red　Sea　into　the　Indian　Ocean。　　He　weighed　all　the　circumstances　attendant　on　such　an　undertaking　in　his　mind。　　He　enquired　into　his　own　powers　and　resources；　imaged　to　himself　the　various　obstacles　that　might　thwart　his　undertaking；　and　finally　resolved　to　engage　in　it。　　If　Columbus　had　not　entertained　a　very　good　opinion　of　himself；　it　is　impossible　that　he　should　have　announced　such　a　project；　or　should　have　achieved　it。

Again。　　Let　our　illustration　be；　of　Homer　undertaking　to　compose　the　Iliad。　　If　he　had　not　believed　himself　to　be　a　man　of　very　superior　powers　to　the　majority　of　the　persons　around　him；　he　would　most　assuredly　never　have　attempted　it。　　What　an　enterprise！　To　describe　in　twenty…four　books；　and　sixteen　thousand　verses；　the　perpetual　warfare　and　contention　of　two　great　nations；　all　Greece　being　armed　for　the　attack；　and　all　the　western　division　of　Asia　Minor　for　the　defence：　　the　war　carried　on　by　two　vast　confederacies；　under　numerous　chiefs；　all　sovereign　and　essentially　independent　of　each　other。　　To　conceive　the　various　characters　of　the　different　leaders；　and　their　mutual　rivalship。　　To　engage　all　heaven；　such　as　it　was　then　understood；　as　well　as　what　was　most　respectable　on　earth；　in　the　struggle。　　To　form　the　idea；　through　twenty…four　books；　of　varying　the　incidents　perpetually；　and　keeping　alive　the　attention　of　the　reader　or　hearer　without　satiety　or　weariness。　　For　this　purpose；　and　to　answer　to　his　conception　of　a　great　poem；　Homer　appears　to　have　thought　it　necessary　that　the　action　should　be　one；　and　he　therefore　took　the　incidental　quarrel　of　Achilles　and　the　commander　in　chief；　the　resentment　of　Achilles；　and　his　consequent　defection　from　the　cause；　till；　by　the　death　of　Patroclus；　and　then　of　Hector；　all　traces　of　the　misunderstanding　first；　and　then　of　its　consequences；　should　be　fully　obliterated。

There　is　further　an　essential　difference　between　the　undertaking　of　Columbus　and　that　of　Homer。　　Once　fairly　engaged；　there　was　for　Columbus　no　drawing　back。　　Being　already　at　sea　on　the　great　Atlantic　Ocean；　he　could　not　retrace　his　steps。　　Even　when　he　had　presented　his　project　to　the　sovereigns　of　Spain；　and　they　had　accepted　it；　and　still　more　when　the　ships　were　engaged；　and　the　crews　mustered；　he　must　go　forward；　or　submit　to　indelible　disgrace。

It　is　not　so　in　writing　a　poem。　　The　author　of　the　latter　may　stop　whenever　he　pleases。　　Of　consequence；　during　every　day　of　its　execution；　he　requires　a　fresh　stimulus。　　He　must　look　back　on　the　past；　and　forward　on　what　is　to　come；　and　feel　that　he　has　considerable　reason　to　be　satisfied。　　The　great　naval　discoverer　may　have　his　intervals　of　misgiving　and　discouragement；　and　may；　as　Pope　expresses　it；　〃wish　that　any　one　would　hang　him。〃　He　goes　forward；　for　he　has　no　longer　the　liberty　to　choose。　　But　the　author　of　a　mighty　poem　is　not　in　the　same　manner　entangled；　and　therefore　to　a　great　degree　returns　to　his　work　each　day；　〃screwing　his　courage　to　the　sticking…place。〃　　He　must　feel　the　same　fortitude　and　elasticity；　and　be　as　entirely　the　same　man　of　heroic　energy；　as　when　he　first　arrived　at　the　resolution　to　engage。　　How　much　then　of　self…complacency　and　self…confidence　do　his　undertaking　and　performance　imply！

I　have　taken　two　of　the　most　memorable　examples　in　the　catalogue　of　human　achievements：　　the　discovery　of　a　New　World；　and　the　production　of　the　Iliad。　　But　all　those　voluntary　actions；　or　rather　series　and　chains　of　actions；　which　comprise　energy　in　the　first　determination；　an